71. Look forward to the Promised Land

Finally after all the hardship and complaining in the wilderness the Israelites reached the border of the Promised Land. Moses did what any good leader would do; he listened to the Lord and sent out twelve men to spy out the land, one from each tribe. He told them to see what the land was like. He wanted them to report back on everything, from the fertile soil, to the trees, to the fortified cities, everything. He wanted a clear picture of what the land was like, in order to plan their entrance. He even told them to bring back some of the samples of the crops that they do see.

And off they went. I think they must have been very excited to see this 'Promised Land' that the Lord was leading them to. He had promised that it was a land of milk and honey and they were looking forward to seeing it. They must have been nervous too, treading on unfamiliar territory, not knowing what to expect. But what they saw amazed them. It was the most wonderful country imaginable, God had been right! The cluster of grapes they cut down was so big that it took two of them to carry it on a pole.

"We arrived in the land you sent us to see, and it is indeed a magnificent country - a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of its fruit as proof." Numbers 13:27

God was certainly true to His Word and was about to provide them with the biggest harvest they had ever seen. I think Moses' heart must have been fluttering with joy! He must have been so excited to see and experience this wonderful country.

God is faithful and true to His Promises. We can trust Him when He promises us something. The whole Bible is full of God's promises and we can hold on to it. He promised us a Savior and He came and now He promises us a wonderful future ahead when He comes again and we need to hold on to it. I am quite certain the illustration of a Promised Land is given to us in order for us to imagine the Promised Land, the New Jerusalem, promised to us. Our stomachs should be fluttering with excitement and joy of what lies ahead. A picture of the New Jerusalem was shown to John and he tried to convey it to us in the book of Revelation. I'd like to share a few verses:

'And I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared for her husband.' Revelation 21:2

'Look, the home of God is now with His people. He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them. He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.' Revelation 21:3, 4

'The new Jerusalem was filled with the glory of the Lord and sparkled like a gem, crystal clear like jasper.' Revelation 21:11

'And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city and the Lamb is its light.' Revelation 21:23

I don't know about you, but it makes me very excited to read this! God promises something better for us. Thank God this world is not all there is! There is something much much better on the way! We can trust God's promises and look forward to it. He is faithful and true and it will come to pass at the right time. Are you ready?

Father thank you so much for this lovely city where all of Your children are going to live one day! We can't wait to join You there. Help us to be faithful now too and to praise You no matter what our circumstances. We love You and we thank you for Jesus who made all this possible by His death on the cross. Amen

1 comment for “71. Look forward to the Promised Land”

  1. Gravatar of KarlienKarlien
    Posted Monday, 09 December 2013 at 2:55:24 PM

    What an encouragement thank you Ilze, this is absolutely outstanding!! We are indeed looking forward to the Promised Land, our God IS a God of Restoration.. We pray for those who are still seeking Him, that they will come to Him today and let their restoration begin..! Then we will all meet in our Promised Land, thank you Jesus!!! Thank you also for your prayers for my sister Amanda, she is very strong and know where her help comes from.

    Many blessings to you and family xx

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